Saddle clamp and method of manufacture

Abstract

A saddle pipe clamp is disclosed of the type including a U-bolt cooperating with a saddle member receiving the ends of the U-bolt which are adapted to apply a clamping pressure about the periphery of a pipe section by means of a pair of nuts threadably engaging the ends of the U-bolt, drawing the outer portion of the U-bolt towards a radiused inner contour of the saddle member. A folded sheet metal saddle member is constructed from a sheet metal blank folded into a three layer stack and spot welded together to form a unitary clamping saddle member. Formed end sections of the blank provide eyes for receiving the U-bolt ends. The middle layer is formed with a slightly smaller pipe engaging radius so as to act as a pressure ridge for sealingly deforming the pipe sections during clamping of the pipe joints. The outer contour of the saddle member is also radiused to minimize the envelope of the assembled pipe clamp without compromising the rigidity of the saddle member to the clamping forces.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property of privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A saddle clamp assembly comrising: a saddle member including three sheet layers stacked together with a pair of saddle eyes formed at either end of said stacked layers, each of said layers being contoured along one edge thereof in an arcuate radiused cutout with the central layer cutout being formed with a radius slightly smaller than the outer two layer cutouts, each of the cutouts being concentrically aligned whereby a protruding ridge comprised of the central layer cutout is provided;   a U-bolt received into said saddle eyes formed and nuts threadably engaging the threaded ends of said U-bolt;   whereby, pipe sections within the opening defined by the saddle member cutouts and said U-bolt can be compressed by said central layer and said saddle member and by said U-bolt member by tightening of said nuts with said U-bolt member ends, and said central layer provides a pressure ridge for crimping of said clamped pipe sections.   
     
     
       2. The saddle clamp according to claim 1 wherein said three layers are formed of a single sheet of metal folded into said three layer construction, said layer secured together to form a unitary saddle structure. 
     
     
       3. The saddle clamp according to claim 2 wherein said clamp eyes are each formed from a section of said single sheet metal, whereby said eyes are integral with said layers. 
     
     
       4. The saddle clamp according to claim 3 wherein said saddle eyes are located with their centers in alignment with said central layer, whereby the clamping pressure exerted by said nuts bearing on said saddle member eyes are transmitted into said central layer along a line of action in alignment with said central ridge to preclude the imposition of asymmetrical forces imposed on said saddle member by tightening of said nut elements during installation of said clamping assembly. 
     
     
       5. The saddle clamp according to claim 4 wherein said saddle construction includes said single sheet of metal having a first section defining one of said outer layers; an intermediate section formed into one of said saddle eyes; a section integral with said one of said eyes forming said second layer; a second intermediate section formed into the outer of said saddle eyes and a section integral with said other of said saddle eyes extending into and between said first and second outer layers forming said central layer. 
     
     
       6. The saddle clamp according to claim 5 wherein each of said layers are formed with an outer radiused contour which is disposed within the envelope defined by the U-bolt ends received within said saddle eyes.